Trench construction.



F. CIESZKOWSKI.

TRENCH CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24 |918.

1 ,277,859.v Patented Sept. 8,1918.

union.

FRAN K CIESZKOWSKI, 0F ROBYVILLE, OHIO.

'FRENCH CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Application led April 24, 1918. Serial No. 230,416.V

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, FRANK Cmsznowsnr, a citizen of Russia, residing at Robyville, in the county of Harrison and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Trench Construction, of which the following is a specification.

The Vprimary objectief the invention is the provision of a portable protecting de vice for a line of soldiers after the nature of a trench, provision being madefor viewing the enemy as well as shooting rifles therethrough.

A further object of the -invention is to provide a foldable trench or barrier formed of' bullet-stopping material resiliently connected portions of the device having telescopes and firing openings arranged therethrough for use at diiferent elevations during the employment of the device by soldiers in the time of war.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a trench or barrier unit adapted to be slightly compressed when hit by a missile for stopping the same, the device then returning to its normal condition, a formi of sighting means and firing openings being provided through the unit for readily viewing and firing upon the enemy.

Inthe drawings forming a part of this application and in which like reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of portions of three units formed after the manner of my invention operatively positioned upright in barrier formation and Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a portion of one side of a unit partially broken away.

My device'is in the nature of a portable trench or shield readily set us for use at any desired point for protecting soldiers positioned behind the same from the oncoming missiles of the enemy. The device may be formed in any desired size and consists of a plurality of units 10, rectangular in cross section formed of U-shaped member 11 and 12 adjustably secured together by means of pins 13 inwardly projecting from the sides 14 of the section 11 into guide slots 15 provided in the corresponding sides 16 of thesection 12.

Suitable springs 17 are provided in each unit 10 transversely thereof bearing. against -the inner faces of the outer walls 18 and 19 of the sections 11 and 12 respectively. In

this manner it will be seen that the sections 11 and 12 are normally distended under the limitations of said pins and slots while any missiles striking either of the Walls 18 or 19 will bring the force of the blow upon the spring 17 as well as filling material 20 provided within each of the units 10. This lilling material may be hair, cotton, Wool or similar substances, calculated to impede the progress of missiles therethrough.

Hinges 21 are provided for connecting the units 10 fold-ably together, the said hinges being positioned to alternate at opposite sides of the device at the adjacent longitudinal edges of the said units. In this manner the units 10 may be positioned with their adjustable sides in contacting relations-with the units superposed as shown in Fig. 1, or the device lnay be more compactly arranged with the face walls 18 and 19 of the units 10 flatly contacting each other, and in which latter arrangement the device is better positioned for storage purposes. Flat telescoping tubes 22 are carried by the walls 18 and 19 of the sections 11 and 12 providing openings through the unit 10 for accommodating a rifle barrel in shooting at the enemy. AdJustable'telescopes 23 are also provided through the units 10 having lenses 24 at their opposite ends lying flush with the outer faces of the walls 18 and 19. It will be seen that the telescopes 23 as well as the ring tubes 22 will readily accommodate the unit 10 when the sections 11 and 12 thereof are relatively shifted during the operation of the device so that the enemy can be readily seen through the telescopes 23 and fired upon through the tubes 22 whenever the units are set up for use. The superposed arrangement of the units provides firing tubes and telescopes at different points and elevations throughout the device when in use as a trench. It will be seen that the soldiers positioned behind the device will be protected from the rifle fire of the enemy while the soldiers may continue firing upon the enemy through the tube 22 aided by the use of the telescopes 23 preferably positioned at points directly above or below the firing tubes for assisting the soldiers 1n sighting their guns which are employed in the battle. What I claim as new is: 1. A protection for soldiers comprising a plurality of hingedly connected units adapted to be set up for use in superposed arrangement, each of said units comprising relatively U-shaped sections` Vpositioned in. rectangular shiftable formation, resilientbetween said'sections adapted for normally the sections projected, bullet 20 filling material Within said sections, springs between said sections adapted for normally maintaining the sections extended, flat telescoping tubes carried by the adapted for firing through the unit and viewing telescopes arranged through said sections adjacent the tubes for gaining visual access of. the enemy through the unit.

2. A device of the .class described comprising aprotecting unit formed of metallic U-shaped sections arranged With overlapping sides, shiftable connections between sections p the said sections adapted for permitting and limiting relative outward and inward movements thereof, springs Within said unit maintainin retarding lling material arranged Within the sections, telescoping tubes carried by the sections transversely of the unit providing a firing opening through the unit `and an adjustable telescope arranged transversely 25 through the unit adjacent the said tubes yfor viewing the enemy from a pointbehind the unit When the device is set up for use.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

` FRANKWCIWESZKOWSKI'. 

